NEW YORK (AP)—Student protests over the Israel-Hamas war have popped up on an increasing number of college campuses following last week's arrest of more than 100 demonstrators at Columbia University.

The students are calling for universities to separate themselves from any companies that are advancing Israel’s military efforts in Gaza — and in some cases from Israel itself.

Protests on many campuses have been orchestrated by coalitions of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-college-protests-c94bb0cd246bcc692de86b76b9b2a8cf">student groups</a>. The groups largely act independently, though students say they’re inspired by peers at other universities.

A look at protests on campuses in recent days:

Pro-Palestinian student protesters set up a tent encampment at the Ivy League university in New York last week. Police first tried to clear the encampment on April 18, when they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/columbia-protests-israel-palestinian-hirsi-cd80372939c7c08a40346e8b7d546da1">arrested more than 100 protesters</a>. But the move backfired, inspiring students across the country and motivating protesters at Columbia to regroup.

Earlier this week, the Ivy League school, where Monday is set to be the last day of classes, switched to hybrid learning. Commencement is set for May 15.

Students said Friday afternoon that they had reached an impasse with administrators and intended to continue their encampment until their demands are met. Columbia officials had earlier said that negotiations were showing progress. Despite dozens of journalists on campus and scores of police officers outside the gates, an unassuming spring day unfolded Friday with students sitting on the library's steps or grabbing a quick bite while soon-to-be-graduates posed for photos in their powder-blue gowns.

Columbia’s president,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/columbia-president-minouche-shafik-protests-30a231f01f8a900ec9585dcf92337ec4">Minouche Shafik</a>, faced a significant — but largely symbolic — rebuke from faculty Friday but retains the support of trustees, who have the power to hire or fire the president. A report by the university senate’s executive committee, which represents faculty, found Shafik and her administration took “many actions and decisions that have harmed Columbia University," including calling in police. Following the report, the senate passed a resolution that included a task force to monitor how the administration would make changes going forward.

Hundreds of counterprotesters gathered on the streets outside Columbia on Friday morning, many holding Israeli flags and chanting for the hostages&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-hostage-video-1284f257698ea5e9c9cc9ac86a849948">being held by Hamas</a>&nbsp;and other militants to be released.

Police in riot gear cleared an encampment on the campus of Northeastern University in Boston as several dozen students shouted and booed at them from a distance. Otherwise, the scene was nonconfrontational.

The school said that the demonstration, which began two days ago, had become “infiltrated by professional organizers” with no affiliation to the school.

Antisemitic slurs, including “Kill the Jews,” were used, the school said in a statement posted on social media.

“We cannot tolerate this kind of hate on our campus,” said the statement.

About 100 people were detained, and students who produced a valid ID were released. They will face “disciplinary action," the university said, but not legal action. People who refused to disclose their affiliation were arrested.

The University of Southern California canceled its main stage graduation ceremony set for May 10 after its campus was roiled by protests. The university already canceled a commencement speech by the school’s pro-Palestinian valedictorian, citing safety concerns. The Los Angeles Police Department said more than 90 people were arrested Wednesday night on charges of trespassing during a protest at the university. One person was arrested on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon. There were no reports of injuries. The university said Wednesday that it had closed campus and police would arrest people who did not leave. Friday was the last day of classes.

Police clashed with protesters at Ohio State University in Columbus, just hours after they gathered Thursday evening. Those who refused to leave after warnings were arrested and charged with criminal trespass, said university spokesperson Benjamin Johnson, citing rules barring overnight events. Of 36 people arrested, Johnson said Friday that 16 were students and 20 were not affiliated with the university. The school's commencement is set for May 5.

About 50 students at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., set up a tent encampment on the school’s University Yard on Thursday. Later in the day, a group of Georgetown University students and professors staged their own protest walkout and marched to the George Washington campus to join them. The protesters are demanding that the university divest from Israel and lift a suspension against a prominent pro-Palestinian student group.

The university's last day of classes before final exams is set for Monday and commencement is scheduled for May 19. Because of the noise generated by the protests, the university said it would move&nbsp;<a href="https://vimeo.com/939155545">law school finals</a>&nbsp;to another building from the one where they had originally been scheduled.

The university said the protesters must remove tents and disperse by 7 p.m.

CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, HUMBOLDT

University officials extended the closure of the campus until May 10 — the end of the semester — saying instruction would continue to be remote, after protesters at the university in northern California used furniture, tents, chains and zip ties to block entrances to an academic and administrative building on Monday. Commencement is scheduled for May 11.

Officials said in a statement Tuesday that students had occupied a second building and three students had been arrested. On Wednesday, officials said some unidentified people who were not students were also inside one of the occupied buildings. On Thursday, the university said protesters continued to occupy the two buildings.

A dean at the school, Jeff Crane, suggested during the meeting that the university form a committee that would include students to do a deep dive into the school’s investments. Crane also suggested faculty and students continue meeting every 24 hours to keep an open line of communication. The sides have yet to announce an agreement.

The school’s senate of faculty and staff demanded the university’s president resign in a no-confidence vote Thursday, citing the decision to call police in to remove the barricaded students Monday.

On Friday, the university released a statement responding to questions from those occupying the buildings. The statement said there will be consequences for actions that violate policy or law, but officials would take into account actions by any students who choose to evacuate the occupied buildings and support efforts to clear them. It did not say the charges faced by those arrested would be dropped.

The administration also offered protesters a 5 p.m. deadline to leave and “not be immediately arrested.” But that deadline passed and the university did not immediately respond to a message seeking an update or provide information on what they planned to do next.

An encampment set up by students at NYU swelled to hundreds of protesters earlier this week. Police on Wednesday said that 133 protesters had been taken into custody. They said all were released with summonses to appear in court on disorderly conduct charges. Commencement is set for May 15.

At Emory University in Atlanta, where Atlanta police and Georgia state troopers had dismantled a camp on the school's quadrangle, the school president on Friday said in an email that some of the videos of a clash between police and people on the campus “are shocking” and that he is “horrified that members of our community had to experience and witness such interactions.”

School officials said 20 of the 28 people arrested were “Emory community members."

Video circulated widely on social media shows two women who identified themselves as professors being detained, with one of them slammed to the ground by one officer as a second officer then pushes her chest and face onto a concrete sidewalk. In a separate incident Thursday evening, some protesters pinned police officers against the glass doors of the Candler School of Theology on the campus and threw objects at the officers, Emory’s president said.

Northwestern University changed its student code of conduct Thursday morning to bar tents on its suburban Chicago campus as student activists set up an encampment.

University President Michael Schill issued an email saying the university had enacted an “interim addendum” to its student code to bar tents, among other things, and warned of disciplinary actions including suspension, expulsion and criminal charges.

“The goal of this addendum is to balance the right to peacefully demonstrate with our goal to protect our community, to avoid disruptions to instruction and to ensure university operations can continue unabated,” Schilling said.

The university’s commencement is scheduled for June 9.

A few dozen protesters set up tents and occupied a building Thursday at the Fashion Institute of Technology, part of the public State University of New York system. Protesters sat on the floor or milled around, many wearing face masks and kaffiyehs. Other protesters outside the building held signs and Palestinian flags. They refused to speak to a reporter. Around a dozen protesters spent the night in tents and sleeping bags inside a campus building. The institute’s museum, which is located in the building where the demonstrators set up camp, was closed Friday.

The school's commencement was still scheduled for May 22 and May 23.

After an encampment was set up at Indiana University Bloomington, police with shields and batons shoved into a line of protesters linked arm-in-arm Thursday afternoon. Videos posted to social media appear to show the protest continuing after law enforcement stopped making arrests.

In an update Friday, the university police said 34 people were arrested. Public information officer Hannah Skibba said charges include trespassing, resisting law enforcement and battery on a public safety official. One officer sustained “minor injuries." Protests continued Friday, one day before the last day of classes. The university’s commencement is scheduled for May 4.

Jeffrey Kehr, chief deputy prosecutor for Monroe County, said in an email that those arrested were released on their own recognizance and the office will “examine all the reports we receive and any relevant footage to determine what, if any, charges are appropriate.”

A small but growing protest encampment remained in place early Friday on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. A statement issued by the school said officials were “closely monitoring” the encampment, which had started on Thursday, and had not received any reports of threatening or violent behavior by the protesters. However, they warned that protests or speech that violates the university’s policies, disrupts its business, or causes an “intimidating, hostile, or violent environment” would not be tolerated. The school's commencement is scheduled to take place between May 18 and 20.

In Gainesville, Florida, home to the University of Florida, protesters were warned Friday that students could face suspension and banishment for three years, and employees could be fired, if they violated rules including camping, using bullhorns, protesting inside buildings or possessing weapons. Around 50 people have been protesting on campus since Wednesday.

Earlier this year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis directed the state’s universities to make it easier for out-of-state students facing antisemitism and other religious harassment in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war to transfer to Florida campuses.

The Republican governor’s administration last fall also ordered state universities to ban a pro-Palestinian student organization, Students for Justice in Palestine, from campuses, saying it illegally backs Hamas militants who attacked Israel. The group has challenged that decision in federal court.

Protesters at Arizona State University pitched tents, including some that police dismantled, and at least three people were arrested Friday. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.azfamily.com/2024/04/26/live-pro-palestine-supporters-gather-old-main-lawn-asu-protest-israel-hamas-war/">television news report</a>&nbsp;put the number of protesters in the dozens and video showed people waving flags and holding signs reading “Free Palestine."

University and Tempe city police representatives did not immediately answer emails asking about arrests, injuries or the size of the crowd.

A university spokesperson, Elena Bras, issued a statement that said “unapproved encampments” were prohibited on campus, and failure to comply would be grounds for arrest for trespassing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713893853332.jpeg" alt="The New School students and pro-Palestinian supporters rally outside The New School University Center building, Monday, April 22, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)" />
 <figcaption>The New School students and pro-Palestinian supporters rally outside The New School University Center building, Monday, April 22, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP)—Student protests over the Israel-Hamas war have popped up on an increasing number of college campuses following last week's arrest of more than 100 demonstrators at Columbia University.The students are calling for universities to separate themselves from any companies that are advancing Israel’s military efforts in Gaza — and in some cases from Israel itself.Protests on many campuses have been orchestrated by coalitions of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-college-protests-c94bb0cd246bcc692de86b76b9b2a8cf">student groups</a>. The groups largely act independently, though students say they’re inspired by peers at other universities.A look at protests on campuses in recent days:COLUMBIA UNIVERSITYPro-Palestinian student protesters set up a tent encampment at the Ivy League university in New York last week. Police first tried to clear the encampment on April 18, when they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/columbia-protests-israel-palestinian-hirsi-cd80372939c7c08a40346e8b7d546da1">arrested more than 100 protesters</a>. But the move backfired, inspiring students across the country and motivating protesters at Columbia to regroup.Earlier this week, the Ivy League school, where Monday is set to be the last day of classes, switched to hybrid learning. Commencement is set for May 15.Students said Friday afternoon that they had reached an impasse with administrators and intended to continue their encampment until their demands are met. Columbia officials had earlier said that negotiations were showing progress. Despite dozens of journalists on campus and scores of police officers outside the gates, an unassuming spring day unfolded Friday with students sitting on the library's steps or grabbing a quick bite while soon-to-be-graduates posed for photos in their powder-blue gowns.Columbia’s president,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/columbia-president-minouche-shafik-protests-30a231f01f8a900ec9585dcf92337ec4">Minouche Shafik</a>, faced a significant — but largely symbolic — rebuke from faculty Friday but retains the support of trustees, who have the power to hire or fire the president. A report by the university senate’s executive committee, which represents faculty, found Shafik and her administration took “many actions and decisions that have harmed Columbia University," including calling in police. Following the report, the senate passed a resolution that included a task force to monitor how the administration would make changes going forward.Hundreds of counterprotesters gathered on the streets outside Columbia on Friday morning, many holding Israeli flags and chanting for the hostages&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-hostage-video-1284f257698ea5e9c9cc9ac86a849948">being held by Hamas</a>&nbsp;and other militants to be released.NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITYPolice in riot gear cleared an encampment on the campus of Northeastern University in Boston as several dozen students shouted and booed at them from a distance. Otherwise, the scene was nonconfrontational.The school said that the demonstration, which began two days ago, had become “infiltrated by professional organizers” with no affiliation to the school.Antisemitic slurs, including “Kill the Jews,” were used, the school said in a statement posted on social media.“We cannot tolerate this kind of hate on our campus,” said the statement.About 100 people were detained, and students who produced a valid ID were released. They will face “disciplinary action," the university said, but not legal action. People who refused to disclose their affiliation were arrested.UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAThe University of Southern California canceled its main stage graduation ceremony set for May 10 after its campus was roiled by protests. The university already canceled a commencement speech by the school’s pro-Palestinian valedictorian, citing safety concerns. The Los Angeles Police Department said more than 90 people were arrested Wednesday night on charges of trespassing during a protest at the university. One person was arrested on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon. There were no reports of injuries. The university said Wednesday that it had closed campus and police would arrest people who did not leave. Friday was the last day of classes.THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITYPolice clashed with protesters at Ohio State University in Columbus, just hours after they gathered Thursday evening. Those who refused to leave after warnings were arrested and charged with criminal trespass, said university spokesperson Benjamin Johnson, citing rules barring overnight events. Of 36 people arrested, Johnson said Friday that 16 were students and 20 were not affiliated with the university. The school's commencement is set for May 5.GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITYAbout 50 students at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., set up a tent encampment on the school’s University Yard on Thursday. Later in the day, a group of Georgetown University students and professors staged their own protest walkout and marched to the George Washington campus to join them. The protesters are demanding that the university divest from Israel and lift a suspension against a prominent pro-Palestinian student group.The university's last day of classes before final exams is set for Monday and commencement is scheduled for May 19. Because of the noise generated by the protests, the university said it would move&nbsp;<a href="https://vimeo.com/939155545">law school finals</a>&nbsp;to another building from the one where they had originally been scheduled.The university said the protesters must remove tents and disperse by 7 p.m.CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, HUMBOLDTUniversity officials extended the closure of the campus until May 10 — the end of the semester — saying instruction would continue to be remote, after protesters at the university in northern California used furniture, tents, chains and zip ties to block entrances to an academic and administrative building on Monday. Commencement is scheduled for May 11.Officials said in a statement Tuesday that students had occupied a second building and three students had been arrested. On Wednesday, officials said some unidentified people who were not students were also inside one of the occupied buildings. On Thursday, the university said protesters continued to occupy the two buildings.A dean at the school, Jeff Crane, suggested during the meeting that the university form a committee that would include students to do a deep dive into the school’s investments. Crane also suggested faculty and students continue meeting every 24 hours to keep an open line of communication. The sides have yet to announce an agreement.The school’s senate of faculty and staff demanded the university’s president resign in a no-confidence vote Thursday, citing the decision to call police in to remove the barricaded students Monday.On Friday, the university released a statement responding to questions from those occupying the buildings. The statement said there will be consequences for actions that violate policy or law, but officials would take into account actions by any students who choose to evacuate the occupied buildings and support efforts to clear them. It did not say the charges faced by those arrested would be dropped.The administration also offered protesters a 5 p.m. deadline to leave and “not be immediately arrested.” But that deadline passed and the university did not immediately respond to a message seeking an update or provide information on what they planned to do next.NEW YORK UNIVERSITYAn encampment set up by students at NYU swelled to hundreds of protesters earlier this week. Police on Wednesday said that 133 protesters had been taken into custody. They said all were released with summonses to appear in court on disorderly conduct charges. Commencement is set for May 15.EMORY UNIVERSITYAt Emory University in Atlanta, where Atlanta police and Georgia state troopers had dismantled a camp on the school's quadrangle, the school president on Friday said in an email that some of the videos of a clash between police and people on the campus “are shocking” and that he is “horrified that members of our community had to experience and witness such interactions.”School officials said 20 of the 28 people arrested were “Emory community members."Video circulated widely on social media shows two women who identified themselves as professors being detained, with one of them slammed to the ground by one officer as a second officer then pushes her chest and face onto a concrete sidewalk. In a separate incident Thursday evening, some protesters pinned police officers against the glass doors of the Candler School of Theology on the campus and threw objects at the officers, Emory’s president said.NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITYNorthwestern University changed its student code of conduct Thursday morning to bar tents on its suburban Chicago campus as student activists set up an encampment.University President Michael Schill issued an email saying the university had enacted an “interim addendum” to its student code to bar tents, among other things, and warned of disciplinary actions including suspension, expulsion and criminal charges.“The goal of this addendum is to balance the right to peacefully demonstrate with our goal to protect our community, to avoid disruptions to instruction and to ensure university operations can continue unabated,” Schilling said.The university’s commencement is scheduled for June 9.FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGYA few dozen protesters set up tents and occupied a building Thursday at the Fashion Institute of Technology, part of the public State University of New York system. Protesters sat on the floor or milled around, many wearing face masks and kaffiyehs. Other protesters outside the building held signs and Palestinian flags. They refused to speak to a reporter. Around a dozen protesters spent the night in tents and sleeping bags inside a campus building. The institute’s museum, which is located in the building where the demonstrators set up camp, was closed Friday.The school's commencement was still scheduled for May 22 and May 23.INDIANA UNIVERSITY BLOOMINGTONAfter an encampment was set up at Indiana University Bloomington, police with shields and batons shoved into a line of protesters linked arm-in-arm Thursday afternoon. Videos posted to social media appear to show the protest continuing after law enforcement stopped making arrests.In an update Friday, the university police said 34 people were arrested. Public information officer Hannah Skibba said charges include trespassing, resisting law enforcement and battery on a public safety official. One officer sustained “minor injuries." Protests continued Friday, one day before the last day of classes. The university’s commencement is scheduled for May 4.Jeffrey Kehr, chief deputy prosecutor for Monroe County, said in an email that those arrested were released on their own recognizance and the office will “examine all the reports we receive and any relevant footage to determine what, if any, charges are appropriate.”UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIAA small but growing protest encampment remained in place early Friday on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. A statement issued by the school said officials were “closely monitoring” the encampment, which had started on Thursday, and had not received any reports of threatening or violent behavior by the protesters. However, they warned that protests or speech that violates the university’s policies, disrupts its business, or causes an “intimidating, hostile, or violent environment” would not be tolerated. The school's commencement is scheduled to take place between May 18 and 20.UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDAIn Gainesville, Florida, home to the University of Florida, protesters were warned Friday that students could face suspension and banishment for three years, and employees could be fired, if they violated rules including camping, using bullhorns, protesting inside buildings or possessing weapons. Around 50 people have been protesting on campus since Wednesday.Earlier this year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis directed the state’s universities to make it easier for out-of-state students facing antisemitism and other religious harassment in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war to transfer to Florida campuses.The Republican governor’s administration last fall also ordered state universities to ban a pro-Palestinian student organization, Students for Justice in Palestine, from campuses, saying it illegally backs Hamas militants who attacked Israel. The group has challenged that decision in federal court.ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITYProtesters at Arizona State University pitched tents, including some that police dismantled, and at least three people were arrested Friday. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.azfamily.com/2024/04/26/live-pro-palestine-supporters-gather-old-main-lawn-asu-protest-israel-hamas-war/">television news report</a>&nbsp;put the number of protesters in the dozens and video showed people waving flags and holding signs reading “Free Palestine."University and Tempe city police representatives did not immediately answer emails asking about arrests, injuries or the size of the crowd.A university spokesperson, Elena Bras, issued a statement that said “unapproved encampments” were prohibited on campus, and failure to comply would be grounds for arrest for trespassing.

Protests of the Israel-Hamas war continue at universities across U.S.

NEW YORK (AP) — Relentlessly rising auto insurance rates are squeezing car owners and stoking inflation.

Auto insurance rates rose 2.6% in March and are up 22% from a year ago. Premium costs have been marching steadily higher since 2022, even as inflation at the consumer level steadily cooled from its 9.1% peak in the middle of that year. Consumers have had some relief as the rate of cost increases for food and energy, two key components of most budgets, has eased greatly.

But auto insurance and car ownership costs have become a sticking point for consumers and the Federal Reserve in its battle to rein inflation back to its goal of 2%.

Typically, individuals would see a noticeable increase in their premiums because of speeding tickets and other moving violations. Adding new drivers or a general increase in claims in the area were other reasons.

But the persistent rise in rates over the last two years has been far more sweeping. New vehicle prices starting spiking during the pandemic, mainly because of a worldwide shortage of computer chips amid production cuts and supply chain bottlenecks. Dealers spent much of 2021 with few or no cars in stock.

Car price increases eased heading into 2024, with the average at $47,338 in January, down from a peak of $48,516 in late 2022, according to Edmunds.com.

Higher value for cars, along with more advanced technology and intricate parts, has raised the overall cost of repairs. Overall maintenance and repair costs jumped 8.2% in March from a year ago, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s eased a bit over the last year. The rate of increase was as high as 14.2% in early 2023.

“The severity is really the thing that has influenced rates more over the last two years than anything,” said Greg Smolan, vice president of insurance operations at AAA Northeast. “A fender bender in the past didn’t have all the sensors and cameras.”

Higher overall auto prices and auto repair costs prompted insurers to start raising premiums as overall car values jumped. Price increases for insurance rates, like many other increases from food to clothing, have been sticky and are less likely to drop at the same rate as broader inflation, if at all.

That has been beneficial for insurers who have seen profits surge. Wall Street is expecting bigger leaps in 2024.

“Our sole concentration last year was to get the right rate,” said Progressive CEO Tricia Griffith, during a fourth-quarter earnings conference call. “We feel like we’re in a really great position now.”

Progressive’s profit jumped 50% and its revenue surged nearly 18% to $62.1 billion in 2023. Wall Street expects its profit to skyrocket nearly 80% in 2024 on a 14% jump in revenue.

Allstate reported a modest profit in 2023 after reporting a loss a year earlier. Wall Street expects its profit to surge 13-fold as revenue rises 10% to $62.9 billion in 2024.

“Companies are getting a lot closer to rate adequacy now,” Smolan said. “I think you’ll see some flattening out of the real large increases.”

The process of obtaining auto insurance can be confusing and overwhelming, considering the differing mix of requirements in each state, extra options and the confusing industry and legal jargon used by insurers. The first step for many should be gaining a better&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iii.org/article/what-auto-insurance" target="_blank">understanding about auto insurance</a>, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Consumers should shop around by getting at least three different quotes and from different types of insurance companies. Also, comparing costs before buying a car could help give consumers a better sense of the true cost of owning a specific car. Premiums are based in part on a car’s price, along with prospective repair costs and safety data.

<a href="https://www.iii.org/article/understanding-your-insurance-deductibles" target="_blank">Deductibles</a>&nbsp;could be a major factor in determining monthly premium costs. That’s the amount of money that a driver is responsible for paying toward a claim. Higher deductibles usually mean lower premiums.

Bundling multiple policies under one insurer could come with a discount. This is common for homeowners using the same company for their home and auto policies. There may also be discounts for insuring more than one vehicle under the same company.

Defensive driving courses also help give drivers discounts on insurance. The timing and standards vary by state, but courses are usually offered in-person and online. Companies including Progressive and Geico often offer multi-year discounts for taking such a course. They can usually steer policy holders toward reputable companies offering the course and certificate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713985395984.png" alt="Image Lawrence, Kansas traffic camera" />
 <figcaption>Image Lawrence, Kansas traffic camera</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Relentlessly rising auto insurance rates are squeezing car owners and stoking inflation.Auto insurance rates rose 2.6% in March and are up 22% from a year ago. Premium costs have been marching steadily higher since 2022, even as inflation at the consumer level steadily cooled from its 9.1% peak in the middle of that year. Consumers have had some relief as the rate of cost increases for food and energy, two key components of most budgets, has eased greatly.But auto insurance and car ownership costs have become a sticking point for consumers and the Federal Reserve in its battle to rein inflation back to its goal of 2%.Typically, individuals would see a noticeable increase in their premiums because of speeding tickets and other moving violations. Adding new drivers or a general increase in claims in the area were other reasons.But the persistent rise in rates over the last two years has been far more sweeping. New vehicle prices starting spiking during the pandemic, mainly because of a worldwide shortage of computer chips amid production cuts and supply chain bottlenecks. Dealers spent much of 2021 with few or no cars in stock.Car price increases eased heading into 2024, with the average at $47,338 in January, down from a peak of $48,516 in late 2022, according to Edmunds.com.Higher value for cars, along with more advanced technology and intricate parts, has raised the overall cost of repairs. Overall maintenance and repair costs jumped 8.2% in March from a year ago, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s eased a bit over the last year. The rate of increase was as high as 14.2% in early 2023.“The severity is really the thing that has influenced rates more over the last two years than anything,” said Greg Smolan, vice president of insurance operations at AAA Northeast. “A fender bender in the past didn’t have all the sensors and cameras.”Higher overall auto prices and auto repair costs prompted insurers to start raising premiums as overall car values jumped. Price increases for insurance rates, like many other increases from food to clothing, have been sticky and are less likely to drop at the same rate as broader inflation, if at all.That has been beneficial for insurers who have seen profits surge. Wall Street is expecting bigger leaps in 2024.“Our sole concentration last year was to get the right rate,” said Progressive CEO Tricia Griffith, during a fourth-quarter earnings conference call. “We feel like we’re in a really great position now.”Progressive’s profit jumped 50% and its revenue surged nearly 18% to $62.1 billion in 2023. Wall Street expects its profit to skyrocket nearly 80% in 2024 on a 14% jump in revenue.Allstate reported a modest profit in 2023 after reporting a loss a year earlier. Wall Street expects its profit to surge 13-fold as revenue rises 10% to $62.9 billion in 2024.“Companies are getting a lot closer to rate adequacy now,” Smolan said. “I think you’ll see some flattening out of the real large increases.”The process of obtaining auto insurance can be confusing and overwhelming, considering the differing mix of requirements in each state, extra options and the confusing industry and legal jargon used by insurers. The first step for many should be gaining a better&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iii.org/article/what-auto-insurance" target="_blank">understanding about auto insurance</a>, according to the Insurance Information Institute.Consumers should shop around by getting at least three different quotes and from different types of insurance companies. Also, comparing costs before buying a car could help give consumers a better sense of the true cost of owning a specific car. Premiums are based in part on a car’s price, along with prospective repair costs and safety data.<a href="https://www.iii.org/article/understanding-your-insurance-deductibles" target="_blank">Deductibles</a>&nbsp;could be a major factor in determining monthly premium costs. That’s the amount of money that a driver is responsible for paying toward a claim. Higher deductibles usually mean lower premiums.Bundling multiple policies under one insurer could come with a discount. This is common for homeowners using the same company for their home and auto policies. There may also be discounts for insuring more than one vehicle under the same company.Defensive driving courses also help give drivers discounts on insurance. The timing and standards vary by state, but courses are usually offered in-person and online. Companies including Progressive and Geico often offer multi-year discounts for taking such a course. They can usually steer policy holders toward reputable companies offering the course and certificate.

Surging auto insurance rates squeeze drivers, fuel inflation

DICKINSON COUNTY—A Kansas man injured in an accident during a police chase that occurred just after 11:30a.m. Friday in Dickinson County is out of the hospital and in jail.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported Junction City Police and Chapman Police were in pursuit of a 2015 Kawasaki motorcycle driven by&nbsp;Jordan David Rhynes, 28, Fort RIley, on Rain Road near 2900 Avenue just south of Kansas 18.

The motorcycle struck a Chapman Police Department 2020 Dodge&nbsp; Durango driven by&nbsp;James Samuel Reynolds, 45, Chapman.

EMS transported Rhynes to Stormont Vail in Junction City. Reynolds was not injured.&nbsp; Rhynes was booked into jail just before 6p.m. Friday on requested charges of reckless driving, maximum speed limits and flee or attempt to elude, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714236765819.png" alt="Rhynes photo Geary Co." />
 <figcaption>Rhynes photo Geary Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>DICKINSON COUNTY—A Kansas man injured in an accident during a police chase that occurred just after 11:30a.m. Friday in Dickinson County is out of the hospital and in jail.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported Junction City Police and Chapman Police were in pursuit of a 2015 Kawasaki motorcycle driven by&nbsp;Jordan David Rhynes, 28, Fort RIley, on Rain Road near 2900 Avenue just south of Kansas 18.The motorcycle struck a Chapman Police Department 2020 Dodge&nbsp; Durango driven by&nbsp;James Samuel Reynolds, 45, Chapman.EMS transported Rhynes to Stormont Vail in Junction City. Reynolds was not injured.&nbsp; Rhynes was booked into jail just before 6p.m. Friday on requested charges of reckless driving, maximum speed limits and flee or attempt to elude, according to online jail records.

Kan. man injured after crash with police SUV moved from hospital to jail

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas will remain among the handful of states that haven't legalized the medical use of marijuana or expanded their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-expansion-kansas-gop-opposition-laura-kelly-a975811472b5935b66e972923f0088ad">Medicaid programs</a>&nbsp;for at least another year.

Republican state senators on Friday blocked efforts to force debates on both issues before the GOP-controlled Legislature's scheduled adjournment for the year Tuesday. Supporters of each measure fell short of the 24 of 40 votes required to pull a bill on each subject out of committee.

Backers of both proposals argue that they have popular support yet have been thwarted going on a decade in each case. Kansas doesn't allow voters to put proposed laws on the ballot statewide, a path that has led to approval for each measure in other states.

All but 12 states have legalized&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-nd-state-wire-us-news-ap-top-news-health-a63f8d9daefe4ecbbc80fd657c5138d5">medical marijuana,</a>&nbsp;and all but 10 have expanded Medicaid in line with the 2010 federal Affordable Care Act and its promise to cover almost all of the cost. Besides Kansas, only Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming have done neither, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

“We're behind the times,” state Sen. John Doll, a western Kansas Republican who voted for both measures, said after Friday's votes.

Republican leaders had expected both efforts to fail, given the GOP's 29-11 Senate majority, and viewed them largely as political grandstanding.

The medical marijuana vote&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20240426102652_311430/print/">was 12-25,</a>&nbsp;with three senators absent. Law enforcement officials oppose the idea, seeing medical marijuana as likely to be close to legalizing recreational use.

During committee testimony earlier this year, opponents also pointed to Oklahoma officials' frustration with the legalization of medical marijuana by ballot initiative there in 2018. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican, has said the explosive growth of the marijuana industry under a lax law has attracted an influx of criminals and foreign nationals for illegal black-market operations.

"We had no idea we were going to have 10,000 growers, way more than they have in California and all these other states, and anybody with a hangnail could get a medical card," Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt said.

But Oklahoma also received nearly $52 million in revenue from its excise tax on marijuana and an additional $67 million in state and local sales taxes in 2023.

Cheryl Kumberg, a registered western Kansas nurse and president of the Kansas Cannabis Coalition, said Oklahoma's problems stem from its lax law. She said Kansas residents who can get cannabis from other states are using it, risking legal issues to address their medical problems.

“It’s ridiculous,” she said. “I can go 45 minutes one way, a couple hours in the other direction, and you can just you can just use it however you want.”

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly even linked medical marijuana to Medicaid expansion in 2021, unsuccessfully pitching marijuana taxes to cover the state's relatively small share of the cost of expanding Medicaid health coverage to another 150,000 people.

The Medicaid expansion vote Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20240426111755_404094/print/">was 18-17</a>&nbsp;despite months of aggressive public campaigning by Kelly and other expansion advocates. In early January, she said she was taking a “more political approach” and suggested plans to hit anti-expansion Republicans hard during the fall campaign.

She backed off that idea this month, telling reporters after one pro-expansion event, “Whether it's an election year or not — that's irrelevant.”

But last year, Kelly formed the Middle of the Road political action committee, and it raised nearly $1 million by the end December for elections this year for all legislative seats.

Also last year, two former Kelly campaign aides helped form a nonprofit advocacy group, the Kansas Coalition for Common Sense, to back the governor's goals. That group put out a post-vote statement suggesting that a no vote was a vote against lowering health care costs and helping rural hospitals.

But Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican, said before the vote that he wasn't expecting Medicaid expansion to become a major campaign issue. He dismissed surveys and polling that expansion supporters released showing its popularity as “just based on how the question is asked.”

"If you ask them, 'Do you want able-bodied people to get free health care?” people will vote no," Masterson said, repeating a common GOP argument.

By JOHN HANNA and SEAN MURPHY&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas will remain among the handful of states that haven't legalized the medical use of marijuana or expanded their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-expansion-kansas-gop-opposition-laura-kelly-a975811472b5935b66e972923f0088ad">Medicaid programs</a>&nbsp;for at least another year.Republican state senators on Friday blocked efforts to force debates on both issues before the GOP-controlled Legislature's scheduled adjournment for the year Tuesday. Supporters of each measure fell short of the 24 of 40 votes required to pull a bill on each subject out of committee.Backers of both proposals argue that they have popular support yet have been thwarted going on a decade in each case. Kansas doesn't allow voters to put proposed laws on the ballot statewide, a path that has led to approval for each measure in other states.All but 12 states have legalized&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-nd-state-wire-us-news-ap-top-news-health-a63f8d9daefe4ecbbc80fd657c5138d5">medical marijuana,</a>&nbsp;and all but 10 have expanded Medicaid in line with the 2010 federal Affordable Care Act and its promise to cover almost all of the cost. Besides Kansas, only Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming have done neither, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.“We're behind the times,” state Sen. John Doll, a western Kansas Republican who voted for both measures, said after Friday's votes.Republican leaders had expected both efforts to fail, given the GOP's 29-11 Senate majority, and viewed them largely as political grandstanding.The medical marijuana vote&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20240426102652_311430/print/">was 12-25,</a>&nbsp;with three senators absent. Law enforcement officials oppose the idea, seeing medical marijuana as likely to be close to legalizing recreational use.During committee testimony earlier this year, opponents also pointed to Oklahoma officials' frustration with the legalization of medical marijuana by ballot initiative there in 2018. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican, has said the explosive growth of the marijuana industry under a lax law has attracted an influx of criminals and foreign nationals for illegal black-market operations."We had no idea we were going to have 10,000 growers, way more than they have in California and all these other states, and anybody with a hangnail could get a medical card," Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt said.But Oklahoma also received nearly $52 million in revenue from its excise tax on marijuana and an additional $67 million in state and local sales taxes in 2023.Cheryl Kumberg, a registered western Kansas nurse and president of the Kansas Cannabis Coalition, said Oklahoma's problems stem from its lax law. She said Kansas residents who can get cannabis from other states are using it, risking legal issues to address their medical problems.“It’s ridiculous,” she said. “I can go 45 minutes one way, a couple hours in the other direction, and you can just you can just use it however you want.”Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly even linked medical marijuana to Medicaid expansion in 2021, unsuccessfully pitching marijuana taxes to cover the state's relatively small share of the cost of expanding Medicaid health coverage to another 150,000 people.The Medicaid expansion vote Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20240426111755_404094/print/">was 18-17</a>&nbsp;despite months of aggressive public campaigning by Kelly and other expansion advocates. In early January, she said she was taking a “more political approach” and suggested plans to hit anti-expansion Republicans hard during the fall campaign.She backed off that idea this month, telling reporters after one pro-expansion event, “Whether it's an election year or not — that's irrelevant.”But last year, Kelly formed the Middle of the Road political action committee, and it raised nearly $1 million by the end December for elections this year for all legislative seats.Also last year, two former Kelly campaign aides helped form a nonprofit advocacy group, the Kansas Coalition for Common Sense, to back the governor's goals. That group put out a post-vote statement suggesting that a no vote was a vote against lowering health care costs and helping rural hospitals.But Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican, said before the vote that he wasn't expecting Medicaid expansion to become a major campaign issue. He dismissed surveys and polling that expansion supporters released showing its popularity as “just based on how the question is asked.”"If you ask them, 'Do you want able-bodied people to get free health care?” people will vote no," Masterson said, repeating a common GOP argument.

Kansas won't have legal medical pot or expand Medicaid for at least another year

KANSAS CITY– A Kansas City, Missouri, police officer who ran an anti-crime charity has been indicted by a federal grand jury for a scheme in which he spent more than $300,000 in donations for his own personal expenses, according to the United State's Attorney.

Aaron Wayne McKie, 46, was charged in a 16-count indictment returned under seal on Tuesday, April 23. The indictment was unsealed and made public today upon McKie’s arrest and initial court appearance.

McKie has worked as a police officer for the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department for 24 years, since April 2000. He was assigned as a police officer to the Crime Free Multi-Housing section from 2002 through 2023.

McKie served from 2009 to 2023 as president of Mid-America Crime Free, Inc. (MACF), a non-profit organization that claimed to provide training to persons in the rental housing industry and promote anti-crime programs. He was an officer of the charity for three years prior, from 2006 to 2009.

The federal indictment alleges that McKie devised a scheme to defraud MACF and its donors that began in July 2009 and lasted until October 2023. According to the indictment, individuals and businesses contributed $387,620 to MACF, not including in-kind donations. McKie spent at least $320,060 for his own personal purposes.

The biggest source of MACF funds was an annual golf tournament, “Fairways 4 Fuzz Golf Tournament.” Individuals and businesses donated both money and in-kind donations, such as food and beverages, to MACF via the golf tournament. At least 121 donors have been identified.

From 2009 to 2023, the flyers soliciting donations and players for the tournament claimed the funds raised would enable MACF to provide free seminars to owners of rental properties and train police officers. In reality, the indictment, those claims were false. The Kansas City Police Department paid the salaries and expenses of Crime Free Multi-Housing unit officers who may have provided training to landlords; McKie used the majority of MACF funds for personal spending; and the IRS had revoked the organization’s tax exempt status in 2010.

The indictment alleges that McKie used the MACF bank account as his own personal account. McKie allegedly spent most of the money donated for charitable purposes in the following ways:

The federal indictment charges McKie with 14 counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714219569463.png" alt="McKie's organization hosted charity golf events-image from the group's social media page" />
 <figcaption>McKie's organization hosted charity golf events-image from the group's social media page</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY– A Kansas City, Missouri, police officer who ran an anti-crime charity has been indicted by a federal grand jury for a scheme in which he spent more than $300,000 in donations for his own personal expenses, according to the United State's Attorney.Aaron Wayne McKie, 46, was charged in a 16-count indictment returned under seal on Tuesday, April 23. The indictment was unsealed and made public today upon McKie’s arrest and initial court appearance.McKie has worked as a police officer for the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department for 24 years, since April 2000. He was assigned as a police officer to the Crime Free Multi-Housing section from 2002 through 2023.McKie served from 2009 to 2023 as president of Mid-America Crime Free, Inc. (MACF), a non-profit organization that claimed to provide training to persons in the rental housing industry and promote anti-crime programs. He was an officer of the charity for three years prior, from 2006 to 2009.The federal indictment alleges that McKie devised a scheme to defraud MACF and its donors that began in July 2009 and lasted until October 2023. According to the indictment, individuals and businesses contributed $387,620 to MACF, not including in-kind donations. McKie spent at least $320,060 for his own personal purposes.The biggest source of MACF funds was an annual golf tournament, “Fairways 4 Fuzz Golf Tournament.” Individuals and businesses donated both money and in-kind donations, such as food and beverages, to MACF via the golf tournament. At least 121 donors have been identified.From 2009 to 2023, the flyers soliciting donations and players for the tournament claimed the funds raised would enable MACF to provide free seminars to owners of rental properties and train police officers. In reality, the indictment, those claims were false. The Kansas City Police Department paid the salaries and expenses of Crime Free Multi-Housing unit officers who may have provided training to landlords; McKie used the majority of MACF funds for personal spending; and the IRS had revoked the organization’s tax exempt status in 2010.The indictment alleges that McKie used the MACF bank account as his own personal account. McKie allegedly spent most of the money donated for charitable purposes in the following ways:<ul>
 <li>$125,989 in travel, entertainment, restaurants, and bars;</li><li>$57,278 in retail and luxury;</li><li>$41,040 in transfers to personal accounts;</li><li>$36,874 in cash;</li><li>$27,279 pre-2016;</li><li>$23,298 in household expenses;</li><li>$8,299 in personal tax payments.</li>
 </ul>The federal indictment charges McKie with 14 counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering.The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

KCPD officer accused in $300,000 charity fraud scheme

WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. will provide Ukraine additional Patriot missiles for its air defense systems as part of a massive $6 billion additional aid package, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Friday.

The missiles will be used to replenish previously supplied Patriot systems. The package also includes more munitions for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, or NASAMS, and additional gear to integrate Western air defense launchers, missiles and radars into Ukraine's existing weaponry, much of which still dates back to the Soviet era.

Ukrainian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/volodymyr-zelenskyy">Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;discussed the need for Patriots early Friday with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a coalition of about 50 countries gathering virtually in a Pentagon-led meeting. The meeting fell on the second anniversary of the group, which Austin said has “moved heaven and earth” since April 2022 to source millions of rounds of ammunition, rocket systems, armored vehicles and even jets to help Ukraine rebuff&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia's invasion</a>.

Zelenskyy said at least seven Patriot systems are needed to protect Ukrainian cities. “We urgently need Patriot systems and missiles for them,” Zelenskyy said. “This is what can and should save lives right now.”

At a Pentagon press conference following the meeting, Austin said the U.S. was working with allies to resource additional Patriot systems but did not commit to sending more U.S. versions. He said he has been speaking one-on-one with a number of his European counterparts in recent days to hash out this issue and others.

“It's not just Patriots that they need, they need other types of systems and interceptors as well,” Austin said. “I would caution us all in terms of making Patriot the silver bullet.”

Austin said he is asking allied nations to “accept a little bit more risk” as they consider what weapons to send to Ukraine. A number of nations have expressed some reluctance to send Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine because most don’t have very many and they belieive they need them for their own defense.

U.S. officials said the aid package will be funded through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which pays for longer-term contracts with the defense industry and means that it could take many months or years for the weapons to arrive. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.

The new funding — the largest tranche of USAI aid sent to date — also includes High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, as well as Switchblade and Puma drones, counter drone systems and artillery.

The Ukraine Defense Contact Group has been meeting about monthly for the past two years and is the primary forum for weapons contributions to Kyiv for the war.

Friday's meeting follows the White House decision earlier this week to approve the delivery of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-mike-johnson-ukraine-israel-b72aed9b195818735d24363f2bc34ea4">$1 billion in weapons and equipment</a>&nbsp;to Ukraine. Those weapons include a variety of ammunition, such as air defense munitions and large amounts of artillery rounds that are much in demand by Ukrainian forces, as well as armored vehicles and other weapons.

That aid, however, will get to Ukraine quickly because it is being pulled off Pentagon shelves, including in warehouses in Europe.

Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the $1 billion weapons package will have a key benefit.

“There's some near-term effects,” said Brown, who stood alongside Austin at the Pentagon briefing. “Now the Ukrainians don't necessarily have to ration what they have because they know things are coming out of this package and there will be follow-on packages.”

The large back-to-back aid approvals are the result of a new infusion of about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-mike-johnson-ukraine-israel-b72aed9b195818735d24363f2bc34ea4">$61 billion in funding for Ukraine</a>&nbsp;that was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on Wednesday. And they provide weapons Kyiv desperately needs to stall gains being made by Russian forces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">in the war</a>.

Bitterly divided members of Congress deadlocked over the funding for months, forcing House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, to cobble together a bipartisan coalition to pass the bill. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-aid-israel-gaza-taiwan-c0645ad3f47f9d919c8988a98593e887">$95 billion foreign aid</a>&nbsp;package, which also included billions of dollars for Israel and Taiwan, passed the House on Saturday, and the Senate approved it Tuesday.

Senior U.S. officials have described dire battlefield conditions in Ukraine, as troops run low on munitions and Russian forces make gains.

Since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-russia-moscow-kyiv-626a8c5ec22217bacb24ece60fac4fe1">Russia’s February 2022 invasion</a>, the U.S. has sent more than $44 billion worth of weapons, maintenance, training and spare parts to Ukraine.

Among the weapons provided to Ukraine were Abrams M1A1 battle tanks. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-abrams-tanks-19d71475d427875653a2130063a8fb7a">Ukraine has now sidelined them</a>&nbsp;in part because Russian drone warfare has made it too difficult for them to operate without detection or coming under attack, two U.S. military officials told The Associated Press.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714164025275.png" alt="Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during a Pentagon press briefing Friday-image Defense Department" />
 <figcaption>Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during a Pentagon press briefing Friday-image Defense Department</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. will provide Ukraine additional Patriot missiles for its air defense systems as part of a massive $6 billion additional aid package, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Friday.The missiles will be used to replenish previously supplied Patriot systems. The package also includes more munitions for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, or NASAMS, and additional gear to integrate Western air defense launchers, missiles and radars into Ukraine's existing weaponry, much of which still dates back to the Soviet era.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714164230975.png" alt="File photo The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command launch a missile target at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., Feb. 8, 2023, while testing new Patriot missile software.-U.S. Army photo" />
 <figcaption>File photo The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command launch a missile target at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., Feb. 8, 2023, while testing new Patriot missile software.-U.S. Army photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Ukrainian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/volodymyr-zelenskyy">Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;discussed the need for Patriots early Friday with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a coalition of about 50 countries gathering virtually in a Pentagon-led meeting. The meeting fell on the second anniversary of the group, which Austin said has “moved heaven and earth” since April 2022 to source millions of rounds of ammunition, rocket systems, armored vehicles and even jets to help Ukraine rebuff&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia's invasion</a>.Zelenskyy said at least seven Patriot systems are needed to protect Ukrainian cities. “We urgently need Patriot systems and missiles for them,” Zelenskyy said. “This is what can and should save lives right now.”At a Pentagon press conference following the meeting, Austin said the U.S. was working with allies to resource additional Patriot systems but did not commit to sending more U.S. versions. He said he has been speaking one-on-one with a number of his European counterparts in recent days to hash out this issue and others.“It's not just Patriots that they need, they need other types of systems and interceptors as well,” Austin said. “I would caution us all in terms of making Patriot the silver bullet.”Austin said he is asking allied nations to “accept a little bit more risk” as they consider what weapons to send to Ukraine. A number of nations have expressed some reluctance to send Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine because most don’t have very many and they belieive they need them for their own defense.U.S. officials said the aid package will be funded through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which pays for longer-term contracts with the defense industry and means that it could take many months or years for the weapons to arrive. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.The new funding — the largest tranche of USAI aid sent to date — also includes High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, as well as Switchblade and Puma drones, counter drone systems and artillery.The Ukraine Defense Contact Group has been meeting about monthly for the past two years and is the primary forum for weapons contributions to Kyiv for the war.Friday's meeting follows the White House decision earlier this week to approve the delivery of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-mike-johnson-ukraine-israel-b72aed9b195818735d24363f2bc34ea4">$1 billion in weapons and equipment</a>&nbsp;to Ukraine. Those weapons include a variety of ammunition, such as air defense munitions and large amounts of artillery rounds that are much in demand by Ukrainian forces, as well as armored vehicles and other weapons.That aid, however, will get to Ukraine quickly because it is being pulled off Pentagon shelves, including in warehouses in Europe.Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the $1 billion weapons package will have a key benefit.“There's some near-term effects,” said Brown, who stood alongside Austin at the Pentagon briefing. “Now the Ukrainians don't necessarily have to ration what they have because they know things are coming out of this package and there will be follow-on packages.”The large back-to-back aid approvals are the result of a new infusion of about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-mike-johnson-ukraine-israel-b72aed9b195818735d24363f2bc34ea4">$61 billion in funding for Ukraine</a>&nbsp;that was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on Wednesday. And they provide weapons Kyiv desperately needs to stall gains being made by Russian forces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">in the war</a>.Bitterly divided members of Congress deadlocked over the funding for months, forcing House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, to cobble together a bipartisan coalition to pass the bill. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-aid-israel-gaza-taiwan-c0645ad3f47f9d919c8988a98593e887">$95 billion foreign aid</a>&nbsp;package, which also included billions of dollars for Israel and Taiwan, passed the House on Saturday, and the Senate approved it Tuesday.Senior U.S. officials have described dire battlefield conditions in Ukraine, as troops run low on munitions and Russian forces make gains.Since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-russia-moscow-kyiv-626a8c5ec22217bacb24ece60fac4fe1">Russia’s February 2022 invasion</a>, the U.S. has sent more than $44 billion worth of weapons, maintenance, training and spare parts to Ukraine.Among the weapons provided to Ukraine were Abrams M1A1 battle tanks. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-abrams-tanks-19d71475d427875653a2130063a8fb7a">Ukraine has now sidelined them</a>&nbsp;in part because Russian drone warfare has made it too difficult for them to operate without detection or coming under attack, two U.S. military officials told The Associated Press.

U.S. to rush  Patriot missiles to Ukraine in $6 Billion package

RENO COUNTY—A veterinary service in Reno County is reporting another case of rabies.

On Friday afternoon,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/nvscares?__cft__[0]=AZW30lIKDqa6rfQCYG3NkIlWa441ZWleXtPybltiEf8z9ONna1ISzoEm5HcGJPMLdHfr8ru-6m662CoKS1IMe14G6eHOelYT67iGLjNVYOO-JpivlP1gvt_vbGMBZZJJZcmu1ZSvLzlbcTdacgqCQUYv&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Ninnescah Veterinary Service LLC</a>,&nbsp;13408 S. Mohawk Road, Hutchinson, shared on social media they had just diagnosed a positive case of rabies in a farm cat.

<a href="https://littleapplepost.com/posts/cfd6e12c-d055-4f0a-b4da-1737d91c32b2">A previous case in December</a>&nbsp;resulted in a human being bitten.&nbsp;

The clinic said it was a similar scenario to the December case, except with no humans in danger this time.&nbsp;

"One of eighteen farm cats started attacking her kittens and acting strange," the clinic said. "Rabies is a fatal disease in both humans and animals. Please get your animals vaccinated for rabies."

The clinic said the two cases are unrelated.&nbsp; &nbsp;

"We have rabies vaccination clinics once a week in a different town for the month of April all in an attempt to get as many animals vaccinated as possible," the clinic said. "Rabies vaccine has been proven to be very successful at preventing the disease."

RENO COUNTY—A veterinary service in Reno County is reporting another case of rabies.On Friday afternoon,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/nvscares?__cft__[0]=AZW30lIKDqa6rfQCYG3NkIlWa441ZWleXtPybltiEf8z9ONna1ISzoEm5HcGJPMLdHfr8ru-6m662CoKS1IMe14G6eHOelYT67iGLjNVYOO-JpivlP1gvt_vbGMBZZJJZcmu1ZSvLzlbcTdacgqCQUYv&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Ninnescah Veterinary Service LLC</a>,&nbsp;13408 S. Mohawk Road, Hutchinson, shared on social media they had just diagnosed a positive case of rabies in a farm cat.<a href="https://littleapplepost.com/posts/cfd6e12c-d055-4f0a-b4da-1737d91c32b2">A previous case in December</a>&nbsp;resulted in a human being bitten.&nbsp;The clinic said it was a similar scenario to the December case, except with no humans in danger this time.&nbsp;"One of eighteen farm cats started attacking her kittens and acting strange," the clinic said. "Rabies is a fatal disease in both humans and animals. Please get your animals vaccinated for rabies."The clinic said the two cases are unrelated.&nbsp; &nbsp;"We have rabies vaccination clinics once a week in a different town for the month of April all in an attempt to get as many animals vaccinated as possible," the clinic said. "Rabies vaccine has been proven to be very successful at preventing the disease."

Kansas veterinarian reports another case of rabies

By JOSH FUNK and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH&nbsp;

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Tornadoes wreaked havoc Friday in the Midwest, causing a building to collapse with dozens of people inside and destroying and damaging hundreds of homes, many around Omaha, Nebraska.

As of Friday night, there were several reports of injuries but no immediate deaths reported. Tornado warnings continued to be issued into the night in Iowa.

Three people were hurt in Nebraska’s Lancaster County when a tornado hit an industrial building, causing it to collapse with 70 people inside. Several were trapped, but everyone was evacuated and the injuries were not life-threatening, authorities said.

One of the most destructive tornadoes moved for miles Friday through mostly rural farmland before chewing up homes and other structures in the suburbs of Omaha, a city of 485,000 people with a metropolitan area population of about 1 million.

Photos on social media showed the small town of Minden, Iowa, about 30 miles (48.3 kilometers) northeast of Omaha also sustained heavy damage.

Jeff Theulen, chief deputy of the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, said at a late Friday briefing that 40 to 50 homes had been completely destroyed. Two injuries were reported but none was life-threatening.

School buses have been brought in to give residents a ride out of town if they need one, he said. He asked others to stay away, as it’s a very dangerous area with power lines down and piles of debris where homes used to be.

“It’s heartbreaking to see these people who have lost houses, cars, essentially their life until they have to rebuild it,” he said.

The forecast for Saturday was ominous. The National Weather Service issued tornado watches across parts of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. Forecasters warned that large hail and strong wind gusts were possible.

“It does look like a big outbreak again tomorrow,” said Becky Kern, the warning coordination meteorologist in the National Weather Service’s Omaha office. “Maybe slightly farther south.”

Hundreds of houses sustained damage in Omaha on Friday, mostly in the Elkhorn area in the western part of the city, Omaha police Lt. Neal Bonacci said.

“You definitely see the path of the tornado,” Bonacci said, adding that many of the homes were destroyed or severely damaged.

Police and firefighters went door-to-door to help people, going to the “hardest hit area” with a plan to search anywhere someone could be trapped, Omaha Fire Chief Kathy Bossman said.

“We'll be looking throughout properties in debris piles, we'll be looking in basements, trying to find any victims and make sure everybody is rescued who needs assistance,” Bossman said.

In one area of Elkhorn, dozens of newly built, large homes were damaged. At least six were wrecked, including one that was leveled, while others had their top halves ripped off. Dozens of emergency vehicles responded to the area.

“We watched it touch down like 200 yards over there and then we took shelter,” said Pat Woods, who lives in Elkhorn. "We could hear it coming through. When we came up our fence was gone and we looked to the northwest and the whole neighborhood's gone.”

Kim Woods, his wife, added, “The whole neighborhood just to the north of us is pretty flattened.”

Three people, including a child, were in the basement of the leveled home when the tornado hit but got out safely, according to Dhaval Naik, who said he works with home's owner.

KETV-TV video showed one woman being removed from a demolished home on a stretcher in Blair, a city just north of Omaha.

Two people were transported for treatment, both with minor injuries, Bonacci said.

Crews were doing a second search of homes. Fire crews would work throughout the night to check all the unsafe structures and make sure no one is inside, Bonacci said.

“People had warnings of this and that saved lives," Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said of the few serious injuries.

The tornado warning was issued in the Omaha area on Friday afternoon just as children were due to be released from school. Many schools had students shelter in place until the storm passed. Hours later, buses were still transporting children home.

“Was it one long track tornado or was it several tornadoes?” Kern of the National Weather Service said.

The agency planned to send out multiple crews over the next several days to determine the number of tornadoes and their strength, which could take up to two weeks, she said.

“Some appeared to be violent tornadoes,” Kern continued. “There were tornadoes in different areas. And so it’s like forensic meteorology, we call it, like piecing together, all the damage indicators.”

Another tornado hit an area on the eastern edge of Omaha, passing directly through parts of Eppley Airfield, the city's airport. Officials halted aircraft operations to access damage but then reopened the facility, Omaha Airport Authority Chief Strategy Officer Steve McCoy said.

The passenger terminal wasn't hit by the tornado but people rushed to storm shelters until the twister passed, McCoy said.

After passing through the airport, the tornado crossed the Missouri River and into Iowa, north of Council Bluffs.

Nebraska Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Katrina Sperl said Friday afternoon that damage reports were just starting to come in. Taylor Wilson, a spokesperson for the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said they hadn’t seen any injuries yet.

In Lancaster County, where three people were injured when an industrial building collapsed, sheriff's officials also said they had reports of a tipped-over train near Waverly, Nebraska.

Two people who were injured in the county were being treated at the trauma center at Bryan Medical Center West Campus in Lincoln, the facility said in a news release. The hospital said the patients were in triage and no details were released on their condition.

The Omaha Public Power District reported nearly 10,000 customers were without power in the Omaha area. The number had dropped to about 7,300 by Friday night.

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen posted on the social platform X that he had ordered state resources to be made available to help with the emergency response and to support first responders as they assess the damage.

“Nebraskans are no strangers to severe weather and, as they have countless times before, Nebraskans will help Nebraskans to rebuild,” Pillen said.

Daniel Fienhold, manager of the Pink Poodle Steakhouse in Crescent, Iowa, said he was outside watching the weather with his daughter and restaurant employees, recalling “it looked like a pretty big tornado was forming” northeast of town.

“It started raining, and then it started hailing, and then all the clouds started to kind of swirl and come together, and as soon as the wind started to pick up, that’s when I headed for the basement, but we never saw it,” Fienhold said.

Photos on social media showed the small city of Minden, Iowa, about 30 miles (48.3 kilometers) northeast of Omaha also sustained heavy damage.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A tornado plowed through suburban Omaha, Nebraska, on Friday afternoon, damaging hundreds of homes and other structures as the twister tore for miles along farmland and into subdivisions. Some injuries were reported but there were no immediate reports that anyone was killed.

Multiple tornadoes were reported in Nebraska but the most destructive storm moved from a largely rural area into suburbs northwest of Omaha, a city of 485,000 people.

Photos on social media showed ravaged homes and shredded trees. Video showed homes with roofs stripped of shingles, in a rural area near Omaha. Law enforcement were blocking off roads in the area.

Hundreds of houses sustained damage in Omaha, mostly in the Elkhorn area in the western part of the city, Omaha police Lt. Neal Bonacci said.

Police and firefighters are now going door-to-door helping people who are trapped.

Omaha Fire Chief Kathy Bossman said crews had gone to the “hardest hit area” and had a plan to search anywhere someone could be trapped.

“They're going to be putting together a strategic plan for a detailed search of the area, starting with the properties with most damage,” Bossman said. “We'll be looking throughout properties in debris piles, we'll be looking in basements, trying to find any victims and make sure everybody is rescued who needs assistance.”

Bonacci said many homes were destroyed or severely damaged.

"You definitely see the path of the tornado,” Bonacci said.

In one area of Elkhorn, dozens of newly built, large homes were damaged. At least six were wrecked, including one that was leveled, while others had the top half ripped off.

There were dozens of emergency vehicles in the area.

His wife, Kim Woods added, “The whole neighborhood just to the north of us is pretty flattened.”

Dhaval Naik, who said he works with the man whose house was demolished, said three people, including a child, were in the basement when the tornado hit. They got out safely.

KETV-TV video showed one woman being removed from a wrecked home on a stretcher in Blair, a city just north of Omaha.

Bonacci said only two people have been transported for treatment, both with minor injuries.

He said crews are now doing a second search of homes. He said fire crews would work throughout the night to check all the unsafe structures and make sure no one is inside.

“People had warnings of this and that saved lives," Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said, of the few serious injuries.

The tornado warning was issued in the Omaha area on Friday afternoon just as children were due to be released from school. Many schools had students shelter in place until the storm passed. Hours later, buses were still transporting students home.

“Was it one long track tornado or was it several tornadoes?” said Becky Kern, the warning coordination meteorologist in the National Weather Service’s Omaha office.

She said the agency planned to send out multiple crews over the next several days to determine the number of tornadoes and their strength, and that it could take up to two weeks to finish the evaluation.

“Some appeared to be violent tornadoes,” she continued. “There were tornadoes in different areas. And so it’s like forensic meteorology, we call it, like piecing together, all the damage indicators.”

Another tornado hit an area on the eastern edge of Omaha, passing directly through parts of Eppley Airfield, the city's airport. Officials closed the airport to aircraft operations to access damage but then reopened the facility, Omaha Airport Authority Chief Strategy Officer Steve McCoy said.